For the first time ever, residents of Lamu are witnessing the construction of a tarmac road in their county.
The Uhuru Kenyatta administration, through the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura), is currently building a 15-km tarmac road to the county headquarters at Mokowe town. About 2km has been completed by Liberty Builders.
According to Kura, the Sh1.1 billion project, which has put smiles on the faces Coastal county residents, will be finished by November next year.
Tractors undertaking construction work in other sections of the road. [Photo/ NMG]
Before work on the road started, Lamu residents admitted they had never stepped on a tarmac in the area, and faulted previous governments for marginalising the area in terms of development.
For the past 55 years, when the country got independence, the residents have been relying on muddy and dusty roads, including the main Lamu-Grasen road.
The new tarmac road is set to improve access in the area, boost security and link all public facilities.
The people in the county see the road as a game-changer in turning around the economic fortunes and attracting investment.
A section of the 1.5km new Mokowe road in Lamu west. [Photo/NMG]
Already, the project has employed many young people from the county, says youth leader Isaack Yunus.
“The road construction project has created employment opportunities for us. It has generally helped to empower the area residents by improving our living standards in all aspects including access to government services at our county headquarters,” said Mr Yunus told Business Daily.
Additionally, following President Kenyatta's promise in his tour of the county last year, construction work is going on in the Sh10.8 billion Lamu-Witu-Lamu road.
The mega project, financed by the national government, is undergoing a radical facelift from the current earth/gravel road to a bitumen standard, and reconstruction of the paved section which runs from Gamba to MinJilla area.
The 113km-road, being done by H-Young, is scheduled for completion by 2020.